Taunton mayor proclaims April as organ donor month

The “gift of life” was celebrated at the Taunton branch of the Registry of Motor Vehicles on Thursday, as the city dedicated the month of April to organ donation. The dedication ceremony featured speeches by those whose lives have been affected by organ donation and representatives of the N...

The “gift of life” was celebrated at the Taunton branch of the Registry of Motor Vehicles on Thursday, as the city dedicated the month of April to organ donation.

The dedication ceremony featured speeches by those whose lives have been affected by organ donation and representatives of the New England Organ Bank. During the event, Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. proclaimed April as Donate Life Month in Taunton.

“We take great pride in having the opportunity to help save lives by registering individuals to become organ tissue donors,” said Matthew Boger, a representative of the Waltham-based New England Organ Bank, the federally designated organ procurement organization for Massachusetts. “We are at the RMV because the vast majority of people who do register to became donors do so here.”

Boger said that more than 117,000 people right now in United States are waiting for organ donations. He said that more than 4,700 people in New England are waiting for organ donations, while there are 3,000 waiting for organs in Massachusetts.

Boger thanked the Taunton RMV for asking those renewing their driver’s license whether they want to become organ donors.

“It’s one of the most important things we can do at the RMV, to offer people an opportunity to make a personal choice about organ donation,” said Michelle Holmes Foster, director of branch operations for the Massachusetts RMV.

Boger also thanked volunteers who are involved with outreach to the motor vehicle registry, to encourage them to ask people about organ donation.

“It’s certainly great to be here in support of such a wonderful cause,” Hoye said. “I can’t think of a more appropriate place to be on behalf of city of Taunton to recognize the work that your organization does. It’s so important. This organization has saved countless lives throughout Taunton, the commonwealth and the country.”

Fairhaven’s Misti Nordstrom, who holds the title of Mrs. Massachusetts, shared her personal motivation for supporting organ donation. Nordstrom talked about how her brother died in a car crash 12 years ago, after he signed up as an organ donor.

“At first, I was devastated because I thought organ donation would be intrusive and disrespectful to him,” Nordstrom said. “It was the hardest struggle to get over. The organ donation study called my parents and invited them to a ceremony and it really lifted our spirits.

... I realized I was so ignorant. It changed my mind. A year after his passing on his birthday, I signed up as an organ donor. Through organ donation, we just know he helped improve the lives of a lot of people.”

Nordstrom said she is using her Mrs. Massachusetts pageant title as a way to promote organ donation.

Organ recipient Doug Bingham, of Raynham, also told his story of being saved by organ donation.

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“I’ve been looking for years to find a way to give back something to the community,” said Bingham, who now does volunteer outreach at the Taunton RMV on behalf of the New England Organ Bank. “It’s a privilege to be an advocate for this organization.”